What we now know about Timmy's allergies

So we got Timmy into the specialist today for his allergies. She was really nice and it was a good informative appointment.

The good news first. . .

He is not very allergic to wheat, but the doc still wants him to avoid it, just so he is not sensitized to it. Same with soy. If he is going to be allergic to milk his whole life, she wants him to be able to enjoy soy products and not miss out on all the fun-- like ice cream :-).

They did test for eggs today, which he is also allergic to. So, no milk, peanuts(any nuts actually), or eggs for Timmy and I (since I am nursing), and no wheat and soy for Timmy. She said it was okay for me to eat soy and wheat, but not to go overboard with them.

The bad news, which is pretty bad, is that Timmy's levels for milk are the highest she has ever seen in a child his age-- which is a lot of kids, and she sees all the bad cases. What does that mean? We don't really know for sure, but the likelihood that he will outgrow it is not very good. Usually by the time they are a year, the levels go up, and then they start to go down. So, I guess we will see what they are like when he is a year old, and maybe we will have a better idea of what we are looking at long term. I still have a smidgen of hope, but not much. It really breaks my heart for him, but we will deal with it.

Peanuts were not tested for today, but people are pretty careful about peanuts these days. Milk is the one I worry about most, because milk and cheese are in a lot of things and they are a big source of the fat that kids need.

So in October, we will get another blood test and go back to see her. She was really helpful and she reminded me to keep things in perspective. Yes, he could die from this, but if we always have his epipen with him, his chances of dying from getting in a car and coming to the appointment are higher. Which is very true, but he still could die from this, where my other kids can't die from eating a piece of cheese-- unless they choke on it. But, it was good to remember, if he has his epipen, he will be okay.

They showed us how to use the epipen and gave us a ton of information. I always though you have to quickly jab the needle into his leg, but you just set it against his skin and then push. So, if any of you are left to watch Timmy, please make sure you know how to use it before we leave.

She also said that a lot of people are really careful and wash their hands-- soap and water will wash the proteins away, but sometimes kids will get a hand me down car seat that milk was spilled on and they suck on the strap and have a reaction, or they crawl on the carpet and have a reaction or whatever. So, I guess there will be guidelines for everyone to follow around Timmy and at our house.

She was really funny about his older sisters and how they will be really helpful and that they will be the gestapo for Timmy and they will protect him from everyone else. That is very true, they are always asking if this or that has milk or nuts, and they won't let anyone give him anything. It is actually kind of nice because now instead of having them wander around the house with food (which is against the rules), they won't do it because of Timmy. They are good protectors for him.

We got a ton of info to read, and so it will be nice to be armed with the information that we need. And a good website: www.foodallergy.org which has a lot of good info and even some info on some substitutions that we can use-- I guess there is sunflower butter that you can use in place of peanut butter that is supposed to be pretty good, and some cookies and brownies and stuff that are allergy free that hopefully are good too.

They also gave us some tips to help his eczema. That is how we got an appointment in the first place. I called to get advice on what to do and I spent forever talking to the nurse. She was really great and she said to give him a bath twice a day for a half hour, and then to put this prescription ointment on, and then to put aquaphor on. So, he will be an expensive bather, but at least he will be happy. Anyway, I guess with IHC doctors they can access the information that other doctors have entered on the computer and his info was on there and so she could see all the troubles he has had. I asked (actually begged) if there was any way to get in sooner, and she said she would take care of us and watch out for Timmy-- and they called the next day with an appointment today. Yeah!

Anyway, it was a good appointment. Even though I will always worry, at least I don't have to worry about the unknown.

Plus, she said he was really cute and that he was a happy boy-- which is nice to hear because that means he is feeling good. Most people that have know Timmy up until the last month or so would not describe him as a happy boy because he has been so miserable. I knew there was a happy boy in there somewhere :-).

So that is what we know about the allergies today. Keep praying that he will outgrow them. Thanks.